This blog post may contain affiliate links, which may reward me in the event of a sale. I use these funds to reinvest in my blog and to create more great content like this article to share with you! My visit to Frankenmuth was sponsored by Go Great Lakes Bay, however all thoughts & opinions are my own. Disclaimer here.
As someone who writes mostly about underrated places to visit within Michigan, it might come as a surprise that I’d travel to one of Michigan’s most touristy towns during one of its most popular times. But no! I totally appreciate visiting Michigan’s hot spots as well! There is definitely a reason it’s so popular. And for many, it’s a bucket list destination! That’s the main reason I planned this ultimate Christmas themed getaway to Frankenmuth – to help those yet to book this getaway do so easily and stress free!
When you think of all the places within Michigan ever Michigander needs to visit in their life, where would you recommend? Mackinac Island? Tahquamenon Falls? I’m sure Frankenmuth is on that list…
Frankenmuth during Christmas has always been on my personal Christmas bucket list. And now that Winston’s four – it’s the perfect age to plan out a Christmasy inspired getaway to Frankenmuth. So calling all parents of little ones – make their holiday season magical and whisk them away on a Christmas getaway to Frankenmuth!
Inspiration Behind this Getaway
When putting together my personal bucket list of places to visit within Michigan with my family and at what age to do them, I knew when my son would start to be the age of believing in Santa – but not yet be “too” logical – would be the best time to plan a Christmasy getaway to Frankenmuth. I knew for this getaway we’d need to go out and do as many of the traditional Christmas attractions as we could fit in one night. So I planned out and dubbed this getaway “our weekend of being Santa’s helpers” to my son.
After a couple successful visits with Santa last year, I knew, this year was the year for it! So if you also have a preschooler, this is a perfect holiday getaway for you too! (Or if you’re without kids and just super obsessed with Christmas, this is also a great itinerary for you.)
Summary of this Ultimate Christmas Themed Getaway to Frankenmuth
When: Weekend in December
Why: To experience the magic of Frankenmuth during the holidays – or as I told my son, for us to be “Santa’s Helpers” this weekend
Time Traveled (one way): 1.25 hours from Lansing, 1.5 hours from Detroit, 2 hours from Grand Rapids and Toledo, 2.5 hours from Kalamazoo, 3 hours from Traverse City, 5 hours from Chicago
Time Spent at Destination: 2 days, 1 night
Budget: $$$
Ultimate Christmas Themed Getaway to Frankenmuth Details
Bronners
Stop number one on our ultimate Christmas themed getaway to Frankenmuth is partly where Frankenmuth get’s its Christmas town reputation – Bronners! This store is the world’s largest Christmas store. And if you’ve never been, it’s likely larger than you even imagined. In total, Bronner’s encompasses 27 acres! To help make your experience pleasant, there are also multiple entrances and check out stations. Within the store there’s also a cafe where you can grab a bite to eat. After all, choosing only a few things from over 6000 ornaments and over 50,000 items total is a daunting task!
During our visit on this trip, I tasked my son with picking out an ornament he really felt represented him, myself and Tony and he did a very interesting job. He’s currently four going on 16 and picked out an ornament with a drivers license and key. For me, a lighthouse – which is fitting. And for Tony – a round ornament with the solar system on it. Hilarious!
After purchasing the ornaments, we walked to the southern corner of Bronners to one of Frankenmuth’s hidden gems – the Silent Night Chapel. This chapel is an exact replica of Stille Nacht Kapelle in Obendorf, Austria, which is where the hymn “Silent Night” was first sung in 1818. The founder of Bronner’s happened upon it during a buying trip and sought permission to recreate it in Frankenmuth.
Within the chapel is information on the history of the hymn and its composers. Outside are panels detailing the hymn written in multiple languages.
ChristKindlMarkt
Next we were off to the ChristKindlMarkt at the Frankenmuth Farmers Market. Once we arrived it started to snow! The ChristKindlMarkt is mid Michigan’s largest Christmas Market in Saginaw County. Within it, there are multiple local vendors serving what they’ve made or created – we saw everything from mini figurines, to jewelry, to hats, to baked goodies.
If you need a break for the cold, pop inside the market to warm up with hot cocoa or mulled wine. There may even be some special guests to say hi to! During our visit, Princess Elsa and Olaf were there too! And we were surprised to see a mining tent was sent up for us to pan for treasures. Bags start at just $6 and you get a pretty decent load of rocks!
Once we wrapped up, we headed back out into the cold and snow to buy from more makers. On the right side of the market there is a tent in the middle you can pop into to see more goodies!
The ChristKindlMarket in Frankenmuth is open for 3 weekends (Friday to Sunday) only starting the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Bavarian Inn Restaurant
Once we check into our hotel at the Bavarian Inn, it was off to the Bavarian Inn Restaurant for our dinner reservation! In Frankenmuth, there are two famous restaurants known for their chicken dinners – Zehnders and Bavarian Inn. I don’t have a preference between the two. I decided to book dinner at Bavarian Inn since we’re going to the breakfast with Santa event at Zehnder’s the next morning.
One of the things I appreciate about the Bavarian Inn Restaurant is its theme and how it encompasses the whole building its in. From the time you walk up, you’ll notice a towering building with clock and bell tower attached. Before I ever heard them chime, I wondered – is this for looks or is it actually functional? Oh those bells do ring!
Then, painted along the walls inside the building are murals depicting the Grimms’ Fairy Tales, which have their origin in Germany in the early to mid 1800s. These fairy tales include Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and the Pied Piper among many others. Even throughout the dining room, you’re bound to notice the murals which add to the Bavarian charm of the waitstaff dressed in traditional Bavarian attire.
Reservations are accepted, though not required. And the restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner starting at 11am. The menu has a variety of German fare although the family style chicken dinner is arguably what they’re most known for. I’ve yet to venture outside of the chicken dinners myself! They do have kids menus too in case your child would like something else.
In total we spent about an hour and half dining at the Bavarian Inn. The food and service were all fantastic. And just as we wrapped up our meal, an accordion player came on through! She even stopped at our table and took time to show my son how the instrument works.
Frankenmuth’s Christmas Tree and the Stop & Snap Challenge
About a three minute walk away from the Bavarian Inn Restaurant is the Frankenmuth Visitors Center. This is where the towns 40 foot lit up Christmas tree is located. At set times throughout the day, the Christmas Tree turns into a seven minute light and song show that makes it so easy to dance! My son definitely broke out his carefree dance moves during the show!
The musical Christmas tree performs daily during the holidays at 11:30am, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm, and 8:30pm. And on Friday and Saturday’s at 9:30pm.
And once the tree stops performing, it is still brilliantly lit up.
In the plaza next to the tree, there is a cute photo opp and props set up where you can see the tree in the background! And there’s also a sign with QR code where you may be interested in downloading an app to discover all of the “Stop and Snap” holiday photo spots throughout Frankenmuth. If you choose to participate, you can earn a free Frankenmuth Christmas ornament to be picked up at the Visitors Center when completed!
On our way back to our car and hotel, we passed back through the parking lot of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant right at 6pm. That’s when I learned – not only are the bells functional – they play a song AND following that, there is a show right above the glockenspiel! In 1967, 4 and a half foot tall figurines made out of wood from Germany’s Black Forest were imported and installed to play the Pied Piper Fairy Tale along a mechanical track. We were all thrilled to discover this! “Shows” play daily at noon, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm.
Bavarian Inn Lodge
During this ultimate Christmas themed getaway to Frankenmuth we stayed at the hotel that best represents the spirit of Frankenmuth – the Bavarian Inn Lodge! Winston and I were fortunate to stay here once before during the summer and loved it! We were thrilled to return.
While the rooms are somewhat basic (although they have everything you need like clean beds, refrigerator, TV, bathtub)… there are so many great details! Each room has a name pinned on the door and when you enter, there is information on the family along with historical photo’s and other things of note associated with them. This was done in collaboration with the Frankenmuth History Museum, which is something unique I’ve not seen elsewhere.
And then, there are lots of perks to staying at the Bavarian Inn Lodge. For one, it’s a waterpark hotel so that keeps it easy with entertaining kids. There are restaurants on site – both sit down and quick and easy. And there’s a massive arcade with mini golf course. For little ones within the arcade, there is an adorable Bavarian village playhouse.
We didn’t budget too much time to swim. But since we had such an early dinner, we did take a little dip for about 30 minutes in the waterfall pool.
Zehnder’s Breakfast with Santa
After waking up and getting ready, we headed out to Zehnder’s to have breakfast with Santa! We reserved this about a month in advance, but found that there was still availability for walk in’s if anyone is interested in attending in the future! But a reservation is recommended. With a reservation, they print out a festive name plate at your table.
Breakfast is casual and everyone’s plate comes with the same food – scrambled eggs, French toast, sausage, muffin, and fruit cup. A server will stop by to take a drink order from you. Our waitress did a phenomenal job keeping us topped up on coffee! The room is festively decorated with Christmas trees. I find Zehnder’s to be a bit more upscale than Bavarian Inn. Not in that they both aren’t high quality – but Zehnder’s isn’t as playful as Bavarian Inn is appearance and vibe wise.
About a quarter way into our breakfast, we were interrupted by a booming “ho ho ho!” Winston was seated in the best seat for this moment and looked up excitedly – “Santa’s here!” He joyfully made his rounds among every table, giving all the children high fives before taking a seat in his chair at the front of the room.
In no particular order, families can line up along the wall to wait your turn to get photos with Santa. Bring your camera or a cell phone as there isn’t a photographer printing out the images – it’s all as you like. And each child gets a goodie bag with a treat once they see Santa. In it, each child received a Christmas tree shaped pop-it! Not too shabby!
During the holiday season, Zehnder’s also hosts both tea and lunch with Santa. To learn more and set up a reservation, check that out here. (Specific events will be added once scheduled and open for reservations).
Shopping along Main Street
After our breakfast, we did a little shopping along Frankenmuth’s Main Street. That included Frankenmuth’s Cheese Haus, which has a large variety of cheese and other deli and gift items. It’s a great spot to shop when looking for holiday gifts and souvenirs you’ll use! And the prices aren’t unreasonable either.
Before planning out which stores to visit in Frankenmuth, go through the coupon book you receive when checking in at Bavarian Inn Lodge. It’s filled with “free gift with purchase” or an extra $ or % off offers at certain shops. When I spent $25 at the Cheese Haus, I received a free Christmas oven mitt – that I’ll actually use!
While walking the couple blocks of Main Street, we made sure to stop and capture pictures at the cute holiday spots along the way. Then, at 11am, we made sure we were back at the Cheese Haus to watch the show above it! At 9am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm daily, the figurinespiel over the Cheese Haus tells the story of Cheese and animals around the world as told by 5 children. This was also such a unique thing to watch!
Grandpa Tiny’s Reindeer Farm
At noon, we went to Grandpa Tiny’s Farm. During the holiday’s the farm transforms into a reindeer farm. Grandpa Tiny’s was founded in 1938 by William Zehnder and has remained a working farm since then. This is the same Zehnder that founded the Bavarian Inn and helped develop Frankenmuth into the travel destination it is today!
This is a busy and popular attraction so make sure you order your tickets online in advance and bundle up! Tickets cost $17 for adults only and kids are free to tag along. In fact, there are lot of attractions within the farm that cater to kids. There are several photo stations, a bouncing castle, bubbles, crafts, playground, and of course, animals! And more animals than just reindeer. Before you even enter the farm, you’ll notice some cow. Then you’ll also see a variety of birds such as peacocks, turkey, chicken, and ducks. Then inside the barn are mini horses, sheep and more!
Santa’s Reindeer Farm runs on the weekends only from the weekend before Thanksgiving until the weekend before Christmas Eve from 12pm-4pm. The tickets are timed. However, once you are in, you can stay until close. We ended up visiting for an hour.
We highly recommend proper footwear when visiting. There aren’t many area’s to warm up at when visiting and the grounds can be muddy and cold. So muddy in fact that parking may be a little challenge to. When we were leaving, the mini van beside us got stuck in the mud and sprayed one side of my car in mud! I joked with Winston that this was just “reindeer poop” to go along with the theme of the weekend, which he totally bought and laughed about! (Yeah, we later found a car wash!)
Complete Itinerary for Ultimate Christmas Themed Getaway to Frankenmuth
Here’s my family’s itinerary for how we spent the weekend in Frankenmuth:
Day One –
- 12:45 pm: Pick out a Christmas ornament at Bronners and visit the Silent Night Chapel
- 2:15 pm: Browse the Frankenmuth Christkindlmarkt for gifts
- 3:00 pm: Check into the Bavarian Inn Lodge
- 3:45 pm: Early dinner at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant
- 5:30 pm: Walk along Main Street to see the festive decorations and Musical Christmas Tree
- 6:00 pm: Watch the Bavarian Inn glockenspiel show
- 6:45 pm: Go swimming at the Bavarian Inn’s Indoor Water park and pools before bed
Day Two –
- 9:00 am: Enjoy Breakfast with Santa at Zehnder’s
- 10:00 am: Go shopping along Main Street in downtown Frankenmuth
- 12:00 pm: See the reindeer at Grandpa Tiny’s Reindeer Farm
Map of the Ultimate Christmas Themed Getaway to Frankenmuth
Other Helpful Info to Note for the Ultimate Christmas Themed Getaway to Frankenmuth
What are some other restaurant options in Frankenmuth?
Some other popular restaurants to visit along Frankenmuth’s Main Street include T.Dub’s for Pizza and Pub style fare, Prost for charcuterie and sandwiches with a wide wine selection, or Michigan’s oldest craft brewery – Frankenmuth Brewery, which has both American and German food.
For coffee, there’s a Creation Coffee, which is a local chain based out of Midland. Another option for coffee and lattes is Frankenmuth Kaffee Haus.
For a retro yet affordable option, check out The Comet Classic Diner, located on the road between Birch Run and Frankenmuth. Located in a traditional, old-fashioned diner, The Comet serves classic American food and ice cream.
Where do you recommend parking in downtown Frankenmuth?
There’s plenty of available parking throughout downtown Frankenmuth behind many of the shops along Main Street. One area that I always find parking is the lot behind the Covered Bridge near River Place Shops. Then if you’d rather not walk around town, there’s a free shuttle to take advantage of!
Is this getaway easily walkable or do I need to drive anywhere?
For the most part, Frankenmuth is easily walkable, especially if you are visiting anywhere along Main Street. Once you’re outside of Main Street, reach places such as Bronners, Grandpa Tiny’s Farm, or the Frankenmuth Farmers Market, via car or shuttle.
When do the Christmas attractions start for the holidays in Frankenmuth?
It’s always a great time to visit Frankenmuth if you’re looking to experience a bit of Christmas year round.
However, the holiday attractions really start to peak the weekend after Thanksgiving. That’s when the Christkindlmarkt opens up, musical Christmas tree lights up daily, and Santa makes his rounds across many attractions within Frankenmuth.
However, if you’re looking for a family friendly “Christmas in July” experience, visit Frankenmuth anytime of the year. Visit Bronner’s and take a drive-thru light show any time of year in their parking lot once it gets dark.
Do any of these attractions require reservations?
Reservations are required to visit Grandpa Tiny’s Reindeer Farm.
Reservations are recommended to participate in the breakfast, tea, or lunch with Santa at Zehnders. Since the holidays are the peak time of year to visit Frankenmuth, hotels can get a little pricey, so best to book early. We also reserved our dinner at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant about a month in advance.
Which hotels in Frankenmuth have indoor water parks?
Both Zehnders and the Bavarian Inn Lodge have indoor water parks. Currently the Bavarian Inn Lodge is working on expanding their indoor waterpark and once that’s complete, it will be the biggest indoor waterpark in Michigan.
What else can we do near Frankenmuth during the holidays?
There’s no shortage of activities and attractions during the holiday within Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay. If you’d like to stay longer or add on to your experience, consider adding a day trip to go shopping at the Birch Run Outlets.
Other nearby towns to explore with holiday experiences include Midland and Bay City, which are about 30-40 minutes drive from Frankenmuth. Both of these towns have their own FREE Santa House to visit, which are absolutely adorable.
Happy adventures!
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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